Micro-electronic circuits are typically made using subtractive and additive processes such as photolithography, deposition, plating and etching technologies. These traditional techniques are being replaced by digital fabrication which allows printing layers as needed and reducing materials wastage. One approach has been to provide circuits utilizing fluid ejection devices, such as ink jet printer devices, to print circuits using conductive water based print solutions. However, improvement is desired in the production of printed multi-layer circuit devices.
Multi-layer circuit devices have a plurality of electrically conductive layers applied adjacent to a substrate and separated by insulating dielectric layers. For example, a typical arrangement of layers (sometimes referred to by example as a “stack”) has a substrate adjacent to which is applied dielectric layers and conductive layers in an alternating fashion. In the manufacture of printed multi-layer circuits, an ink receiving layer (IRL) is provided on the substrate and between each dielectric and conductive layer. A circuit in a conductive layer is formed on the IRL using a fluid having conductive components therein, such as a water-based fluid composition (which may sometimes be referred to as an “ink”) having silver nanoparticles dispersed therein. The dielectric layer insulates the conductive layers from one another and the IRLs handle fluid components (usually water, humectants, dispersants, surfactants, etc) associated with the fluid composition. Conductive traces provide electrical continuity between various electrical components of the circuit according to the circuit design. A number of problems exist in current methods for providing printed circuits, especially in the provision of traces having desirable conductive properties, in the provision of suitable fluid composition receiving layers and ensuring adequate adhesion of the printed circuits to the fluid composition receiving layers, and in the avoidance of the formation of undesirable short circuit paths in the manufacture of circuits.
In one exemplary aspect, the inventors have determined that improvements are needed in the provision of suitable fluid composition receiving layers and ensuring adequate adhesion of the printed circuits to the fluid composition receiving layers. In another exemplary aspect, the inventors have determined that improvements are needed in the manufacture of printed circuits which avoid the formation of undesirable short circuit paths. In yet a further exemplary aspect, the inventors have determined that improved methods for providing circuits by micro-fluid ejection techniques are needed, such as those provided by ink jet printing
In one exemplary embodiment, a method is provided for manufacturing a circuit having a substrate having a plurality of layers applied thereto by a micro-fluid ejection device. The layers include at least a fluid composition receiving layer having a layout area and a dielectric layer having a layout area. A first portion of the layout area of the receiving layer is maintained within the layout area of the dielectric layer to avoid undesirable short circuit paths in a first region of the circuit. A second portion of the layout area of the receiving layer is maintained so that it extends beyond the layout area of the dielectric layer to provide a desired electrical path in a second region of the circuit.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method for providing a printed circuit is provided. For example, a first fluid composition receiving layer is ejected adjacent to at least a portion of a surface of a substrate. A first conductive layer is ejected adjacent to at least a portion of the first receiving layer. A first dielectric layer is ejected adjacent to at least a portion of to the first conductive layer. A second fluid composition receiving layer is ejected adjacent to at least a portion of the dielectric layer opposite the first conductive layer. A second conductive layer is ejected adjacent to at least a portion of the second receiving layer.